Wednesday, 27 January 2010

Sunday has at last come round, I know that lots of you have already done one or two or three fairs already this year, but I have yet to get back into the swing of things, after many years away from the fairs.

Today I decided that I needed to have a look at the smalls, I have all of my textiles, clothes, furniture, chandeliers displays sorted but not the bits & bobs.

So here are some pics of my kitchen with the "before", I will post some hopefully really lovely pics from my stand on Sunday, hopefully before everything sells out!

this ladder will be transformed into a stunning set of shelves, I am taking this instead of the lovely cupboard that Michael converted for me

Saturday, 16 January 2010

Now the whitestuff has gone (hopefully for good this year), I thought that I would share some pictures with you, they were all taken last year in my mum's garden, it feels as though it will be a long time until we see the bulbs, muscari and snowdrops, let alone the summer roses, but I decided that we need to see some colour..........

The spring border

The summer garden

I have included a few pictures of my allotment from the summer, soon it will be full of daffs & narcissi, the ducks live on our millpond and hopefully we will have another family this year. I took snow covered allotment pictures for a comparison but couldn't bear to post them!

Friday, 15 January 2010

I love to look at maps and see where I have been and where I would like to go to.

My Mum has turned into an intrepid traveller rather than a holidayer and since our recent trip to Nepal and Northern India, and our river cruise from St Petersburg to Moscow (not forgetting our 3 weeks travelling the Nile in the 80's when you could sail the whole length from Cairo to Aswan), she has travelled quite extensively, she has already booked herself onto a trip to Vietnam for next year and I am sure that she will fit in many more interesting places this year (and will top 2009's trips).

She travels solo and her first totally solo trip was to Venice and she throughly enjoyed it. Being a solo traveller can be hard but I believe that she finds it totally rewarding. Well done Mum, I wish I could afford to come with you!

To the point, some time ago I bought a lovely atlas (1930, THe Comparative Atlas by Bartholomew).

It has so many beautiful pages, with lots of information but the interesting thing is how much the World has changed! Also it would be considered non - p.c. nowadays!

Heathens?

What no Bankers?

Colour chart?You may or may not find these plates interesting, but take a few minutes to have a look.........

You may wonder why I have put a leather dog collar on my mannequin, one for security, I thought that it would be less likely to walk from my stand at Malvern if it was more difficult to pick up, the other - well....

I have sold a number of vintage leather studded dog collars in the past, one even had spikes coming out like a crown of thorns, someone did explain its proper use to me, which I have forgotten, however I think that they are well made and have a bit of history with them, lovely for your mutt, but who knows what other people think and use them for?!

Friday, 8 January 2010

I have only been blogging for a few months and had come to believe that the area of interest that I follow was only populated by like-minded arty, vintagey ladies who (surprisingly to me) are all very friendly!

I write my blog to join in, and have wondered if I should unleash my sense of humour and cynicism into this world?! as I don't always see things through rose coloured spectacles. I have today found a very amusing and male blog - FREDSWORLD (http://www.fredsworldblog.blogspot.com/), do go and look, he makes a lot of comments that perhaps do pass fleetingly through our own minds?!

On the kitchen front, my mum is having the whole of her house slowly renovated and yesterday, having been given advice/info/brochures from her builder, asked me to help her design her new kitchen as we think along the same lines and I understand what she wants. Hurray!

Apart from my vast archive of images that I store in my head my inspiration may come from "Recycled Home" by the Baileys.

I hate wall cupboards and although we will have to have base units, a very large armoire will take pride of place for the collection of pretty china and a large cupboard for a pantry.

I am so excited and will keep you posted of before and after! In the meantime have a look at my inspiration.......

The bed is also a Bailey's picture and as my son keeps moaning about wanting a wooden double, I think that this may inspire him, he is perfectly capable of making it, being a teenager does he have the motivation?!

The last kitchen pic is from this month's Coast magazine which the postie just delivered with a load of nasty envelopes, so when I finish here it's tea and biscuits, blanket and sofa, and Coast.

Wednesday, 6 January 2010

We had up until a few days ago missed all of the snow and really bad weather, Christmas week in Brixham was bright with some frost, but nothing like being in the Cotswolds as we are now.

Our tiny village has two exits, both on slopes and at junctions of roads where people drive too fast to give you a chance. Anyway because of the slopes and lack of salt/grit etc we are trapped (mechanically).

Michael and I walked to the next village this morning as I needed to post an application form for Tom, (he is hoping to study at Sparsholt College in Hampshire after his GCSE's). When we arrived at the shop, they had a few hot pasties left, so guess who indulged, I didn't have the camera out of my pocket quickly enough to record this event!

We took the dogs (Flo, and her friends Minnie & Daisy), who all love the snow.......

poor Flo has shaggy fur and she became clogged up with snow, (like sheep dags), she found it very difficult to run and even ended up walking as though she had her jumper on with broomsticks stuck up the sleeves, it was so funny! Michael being the kind soul that he is kept brushing her down. I just decided to call her Miss Pom Pom !

Walking back the view over the millpond of Mum's house and my potting shed seems a long way removed from the springtime, when the allotment and gardens are full of daffs & tulips & muscari & catkins etc, the only thing thriving in my veg patch at the moment are parsnips & celeriac!

maybe stick to diving?!

a pair of likely lads!

ship ahoy!

About me

We live in the Cotswolds in a cold cottage (it is lovely in the spring & summer). We have a very small garden, however we are lucky enough to have an allotment and as my mum lives close by, we see her large, beautiful English country garden everyday.
We are me Tracey, lover of vintage & anything eyecatching, Michael, electrician and Man U fan! (ugh footy)!, and Tom my teenangel, and not forgetting Florence our lovely scruffy terrier!

The Prisoners

try not to look like a tourist!

can we go yet?

Funny... Michael won't let me do this!!??

DUDE !

Sinai at sunset

If you love dogs have a look here

dogs of the world - Flo, Exmoor

dogs of the world - Flo, Slapton

Dogs of the World - chip time in Brixham

Dogs of the World - Mabel Bridport

dogs of the world - Kathmandu

Dogs of the World - Kingsbridge

Dogs of the World - "Puppy" Dahab

dogs of the world - Russia

Dogs of the World - Varanassi

dogs of the world - Dahab

Shop history

For the shop we are a team which is quite practical.
Michael is our electrician (qualified), carpenter, metalworker, driver, fetcher & carrier. Trixie who has been in the "antiques" business for many years and after a break has come back to vintage & antiques. Trixie loves sourcing the stock & has an eye for the unusual.
We travel far and wide to source our stock and take time and pride in presenting items that we would wish to keep for ourselves, but are happy to share with like minded people.
I forgot Florence(you will see her on my blog) and old scruffy terrier who we rescued and have loved ever since!